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Top of Mind Thursday Memo Archive
Top of Mind Thursday June 11, 2020: Opening the Door
In the last several weeks, many US states and other countries around the world have started re-opening parts of their economies.
In some cases, like New Zealand and South Korea, the coronavirus has been virtually vanquished. In others, like Spain and Italy, the curve has flattened enough that officials believe it’s safe enough to resume many activities. In the United States, both the status of the pandemic and the dates for re-opening of various sectors differ from state-to-state or region-to-region.
After months of lockdown, many people are going stir-crazy. They want to get out and resume their normal lives. Some are taking the advice of public health officials to wear masks and continue social distancing. Others are throwing caution to the wind.
As a result, there are two parallel situations developing. First, there are people who are ready and anxious to jump into their old activities–regardless of whether or not they’re safe. On the other hand, there are people who will be reticent to resume even those activities that are now considered appropriate, because they are concerned about continued spread of the virus.
The virus has not magically disappeared, and it’s likely we will see significant upticks in infection over the next several months as more and more “normal” activities resume. The more businesses can take appropriate safety and hygiene measures, the smaller that rise may be.
But just as important as new cleaning and service protocols is making customers feel comfortable. All the processes and procedures in the world won’t make a difference if a customer perceives they are at risk and becomes afraid to proceed.
It’s important to communicate frequently and share plans as they develop. It’s also important to accept the fact that a segment of your customers may not be ready for business as usual for a long time. Keep developing and improving alternative means to support your customers: remote meetings and events, no-cost home delivery, take out and curbside pickup for all manner of retail products–not just restaurants.
The door to a more normal environment is opening just a crack. We need to be careful with how we handle this opportunity, or we may quickly see it slam in our face.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday June 4, 2020: A Lesson Still Not Learned
Last week, I asked how long we could go through the same process of deja vu before things change.
Since then, not only have things not changed for the better, they’ve gotten significantly worse.
Ten days ago, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was murdered by a Minneapolis police office while 3 other officers stood by and watched. One officer was charged quickly. Not until yesterday, were charges brought against the three officers who chose not to intervene.
George Floyd’s death was the tipping point. The frustration of African Americans over the ongoing killings of unarmed Black men by police officers, the continuing pattern of white Americans reporting Black people to the police for doing nothing more than being Black, the indifference and racism of our federal leaders–all of that boiled over this past week.
Protests have been held across the country, and in other parts of the world. Some were peaceful; others erupted into looting and violence. It’s not clear if the people responsible for the looting and vandalism were really protesting Floyd’s death, or if they were other groups using the protests as a cover to commit criminal acts. Deploying the national guard, sending in police with heavy-duty military equipment, and shooting tear gas at peaceful protesters just inflamed the situation.
Where do we go from here? The Minneapolis police chief was asked about the responsibility of the three officers who stood by and let this happen. His response: If they stood there and did nothing, they are complicit.
Most of us have likely never actually abused or murdered an individual because of the color of their skin. But if we sit here and say or do nothing while others commit these crimes, we are also complicit. Edmund Burke said, “All that’s required for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.”
Yes, Black lives matter. And the actions or inactions of the rest of us when these things happen matter, too.
Contact me to find out how you can get heard above the noise – even in a crisis situation.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday May 28, 2020: Deja Vu All Over Again
The scenes are familiar–only the names have changed.
Two weeks ago, we saw video footage of the shooting of Ahmed Aubrey by two former police officers. Yesterday, it was George Floyd, who was choked to death by a police officer holding a knee against his throat. Two days ago, a white woman named Amy Cooper called police because a Black man asked her to leash her dog in a New York City park.
These are only the latest incidents of individuals being singled out for violence or trouble because of their race.
This doesn’t happen just to African Americans. Asian Americans are facing discrimination due to false claims that they helped spread the “Chinese virus.” Muslim Americans have faced violence and discrimination because of false rumors they are all terrorists. Hispanic Americans are discriminated against because they are falsely labeled criminals and rapists.
The common thread: In a time when the entire world is suffering from the effects of a lethal virus, we see the same despicable behavior over and over against people who are different than us. In a time when we should be coming together to help Americans stay safe and return to some sense of normalcy, we see violence erupt over the wearing of masks. In a time when everyone has the ability to immediately broadcast what happens around them, we see unnecessary violence and aggression that previously was swept under the table.
It’s time to get back to business. But we can’t move forward until we agree to stop exhibiting the same inexcusable behavior over and over again–in our businesses, our personal lives, and among those around us.
It’s time to stop living deja vu over and over again.
Contact me to find out how you can get heard above the noise – even in a crisis situation.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday May 21, 2020: Hurry Up and Wait
The economy is beginning to open up–across the US, and in many other parts of the world.
While we don’t yet know exactly how this process will unfold, one thing is certain: The ways we interact with others will change dramatically. This will most likely result in lengthier waits in many areas, as establishments take additional precautions to protect both employees and customers.
Last weekend, we took our dog to the vet to checkout a sore leg (turned out to be only a mild sprain).
Humans are no longer allowed inside the vet clinic. We parked in a numbered spot in their lot and interacted with the staff via phone.Before the dog was allowed in the clinic, we had to confirm all the people in the car were not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. A technician then came and took him inside where he was seen by a vet who called us with her findings. He was then returned to us in the car, with his new meds, and a copy of the credit card receipt.
What occurred to me is the vet waiting room has now moved from the inside of the clinic to customers’ own cars. Doctor offices are doing something similar: you call when you arrive, answer screening questions, then get a quick temperature check before being allowed inside when it’s your turn to be seen.
When we can’t (or don’t want to) physically go into a store, we wait for curbside pickup or home delivery. We wait for Fedex, UPS, and Amazon deliveries. We wait for DoorDash or GrubHub or Instacart.
No one likes waiting anymore than absolutely necessary. As the recovery continues, those organizations that are able to cut down the wait or use the wait time most creatively will stand out from the crowd.
Don’t wait to start working on how to address this for your business.
Contact me to find out how you can get heard above the noise – even in a crisis situation.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com